RV show madness

mileshuff wrote:
I went to a show sponsored by La Mesa a few months ago. Tried asking a sales person a few questions about some of the RV's. She kept asking what my time frame for purchasing was. When I said I'm just looking to see whats new and might interest me she said 'Well, you're certainly not in the market to buy today' and proceeded to another person and ignored my questions.

Sales is an interesting business. It's worth noting that the word "interesting" is often used as a euphemism.

The goal at a show is sales. Some sales managers are very short sighted. They want the sale NOW, and don't think about where the sale tomorrow or next week may come from. They lean on their sales people to get sales "now", sometimes even invoking "or else".

Some sales folks are only paid commission. If they don't sell, they don't make anything. It sounds like she may have been in such a position.

While she should have used at least some amount of tact (which might have brought in that sale tomorrow or next week), she was most likely in one of these positions. It's unfortunate.

To most sales people, they don't care what they sell. It might be toasters or medical supplies today, and will be Fords or Evergreen RV's tomorrow. What matters is if they can sell to someone that's interested in buying.

I did some sidelining in firearms sales at one point. I helped a couple one day where the husband wanted a specific semi-automatic for his wife. It was quickly obvious that a revolver was really the right firearm for the wife. I also helped her figure out which one she could use most reliably and effectively. Her husband was insistent on something else. I walked him through the reasoning several times. They left without making a purchase.

The manager called me up to his office and asked why I didn't sell him what he wanted for her. I explained why, and that selling the customer the right thing makes for a longer relationship. He said I cost him a sale. I told him they'd be back.

They came back 2 hours later and bought the one that was truly best for her - that I recommended. I took the store copy of the receipt to him after, with the added cost of the class that they'd be attending - which I was teaching the next weekend. I quit after that class. That manager drove a lot of customers and employees away.

Some sales managers are like that.

As for financing versus outright buying, there are advantages to both. Outright buying is financially best, but there are opportunity costs that can be lost, versus having and using something when the best opportunities exist.